Loom-picker.



PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

LOOM PIGKBR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 31, 1907.

W. A. & 5. A. BRAMALL.

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ATTORNEY,

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No. 875,772. PATENTED JAN. 7,1908.

W- A. 6: J. A. BRAMALL. LOOM PIGKER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 31, 1907.

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of the latter, thrown UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. BRAMALL AND JOHN A. BRAMALL, OF MOORE, PENNSYLVANIA.

LOOM-PICKER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. '7, 1908.

Application filed May 31.1907- Serial No. 376,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,lN1LLrAM A. BRAMA'LL and JOHN A. BRAMALL, citizens of the United States,'residing at Moore, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loom-Pickers, of which the follow ing is a specification.

Our invention relates to textile machinery and therein to the picker for throwing the shuttle.

Our object is to provide a picker more durable in character and more effective in operation than those hitherto devised or em ployed in the art.

The pickers now in use are, as far as known, corn osed of raw hide, leather, canvas or simi ar material for the reason that the picker must necessarily be light in weight to properly perform its function. It is common knowledge in the art that pickers so composed are of limited durability for two reasons. The raw hide end of the picker is more or less rapidly worn away by its contact with the shuttle tip and in consequence ceases to drive the shuttle with the requisite precision, and the bearing in the opposite end or base of the picker where it is mounted upon the spindle is burned out by the friction and heat of the rapid to-and-fro movement upon the spindle, causing the picker to sag and to drag upon the bottom of the shuttle box where it is apt to become covered with oil. Furthermore, the sagging of the picker throws the picker end more or less completely out of alinement with the shuttle tip. From any or all of these causes the pickers at present employed soon become useless and an entire new one has to be substituted. Again, the oil used to lubricate the spindle and ease the run of the pickers above described is, by the rapid movement both upon the shuttle, the shuttle box, and upon the yarn or fabric in process of weaving. And finally, the end of the raw hide picker which contacts with the shuttle tip cannot be maintained in strict alinement so as to uniformly clear the edge of the shuttle box. When the shuttle tip does strike true in the center of the picker end which becomes worn concave, a crooked throw of the shuttle results, with obvious detrimental results to the loom and the fabric.

In our improved picker we have obviated the above-mentioned defects in prior devices of this character in textile machinery by providing a picker of light weight and great durability, traveling easily upon the spindles with a minimum of friction, retaining within its bearings the lubricant employed, and capable of accurate adjustment to the shuttle. These results we accomplish by the means herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the picker, the base in which the spindle bearings are located being shown in vertical section. Fig. 2 is aview in vertical section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, showing the spindles and the manner in which the picker is mounted thereon. Fig. 8 is a top view, in perspective, of the picker, the head thereof being partly broken away to show the bushing and the removable plug therein. Fig. 4 is a top view looking down upon a part of the loom frame or lay, showing the uppermost spindle, (the lower spindle is in alinement directly beneath), the picker with the end of the picker stick and picker strap, the shuttle and shuttle box. Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4, with the addition of the lower spindle, and the vertical rod supporting the shuttle box. Fig. 6 is a view in cross section on the line 66, Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 the spindle 1 is mounted in the brackets 3 and 4 of the loom frame or lay 5, the ends of the spindle being secured in said brackets by the set-screws 6 and 7. The parallel spindle 2 is secured to the spindle 1 by the brackets 8 and 9 and the set-screws 10. This arrangement of parts admits either of a vertical alinement of the spindles, as shown in Figs. 41 and 5, or of setting the lower spindle out of vertical alincment with the upper by loosening the set-screws 6 and 7, swinging the lower spindle and reclamping in the desired position, such adjustment being made for the purpose hereinafter specified.

The spindles 1 and 2 are helically or spirally grooved throughout the greater part of their length, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, and, in cross section in Fig. 1.

The picker 11, Fig. 1, consists of a base in which the ball bearings are located, whereby it is mounted upon the spindles, and a short arm terminating in a head, the base, arm and head being integral and formed preferably of any suitable light metal. The sectional view through the base, shown in Fig. 2,

shows the manner in which the picker is mounted and runs upon the spindles. The picker has two bearings upon the upper spindle 1 and one upon the lower spindle 2. Those upon the upper spindle are formed by the double-headed half-cup 12 screwed into a central position in the shell of the picker base, the balls 13 placed in position in each half-cup (one ball for each grooveof the spindle, as shown in Fig. 1) and the complemental halfcups 1.4 and 15 screwed into the ends of the picker shell to a bearing against the faces of the double-headed half-cup 12. The spaces thus formed in which the balls are located should be so proportioned that when all parts of the bearings are in position the balls may have in practice a play of about l1000 of an inch. The single bearing upon the lower spindle 2 is, in like manner, formed by the balls, 13 and the half-cups 1.6 and. 17.

The manner in which the picker, thus mounted, slides upon the spindles will appear from the foregoing description and by reference to Fig. 2. The balls in their bearings have two movements, a rolling motion" upon their respective axes and a forward helical movement about the axes of the spindles, following the groovings thereon.

The arm of the picker extending from the mounted base terminates in a head, as shown in Figs. 1 and. 3. This head is a cylindrical internally threaded shell into which the bush ing 18 is screwed. The latter is likewise internally threaded and the plug 19, preferably of raw hide is screwed therein. When the face of the plug 19 becomes unduly worn by contact with the shuttle tip the plug can be readily removed and a new one inserted in the head of the picker, thus doing away with the necessity for substituting an entire new picker as is the present practice.

In Figs. 1- and 5 the shuttle 20 is located in the lowermost shuttle box 21, the under side of the web of the picker being out out, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, to lit the edge of the shuttle box, as shown in Fig. 6. This serves not only to control the throw of the hsuttle but also to guide the action of the picker. The shuttle box 21 is supported by the vertical rod 22. The picker is actuated by the picker-stick 23 to which it is secured by the picker strap 24.

The leather straps 25 and. 26, Fig. 5, upon the ends of the spindles 1 and 2 serve as buffers to arrest the motion of the picker at either end of its to-and-fro movement.

It will be observed. that by our employ ment of two parallel spindles, one of which is adjustably bracketed in the loom frame, we can secure perfect alinement between the shuttle tip and the center of the picker plug. This is important, for the plug, which is usually of raw hide, becomes worn concave and unless a slight raising or lowering of the picker head and its plug can be effected a crooked throw of the shuttle is liable to re sult. By our improved arrangement of parts the set screws 6 and 7 may be loosened and the upper spindle may be slightly turned, thus moving the lower spindle toward the shuttle and elevating the picker head and plug, or moving the lower spindle away from the shuttle, which correspondingly depresses the picker plug.

The bushing 18 is composed of a metal harder than that of which the picker is made. W e prefer to make said bushing of case hardened steel in order to save the shell of the picker head from injury by the shuttle tip should the picker plug become unduly worn.

While we have herein shown three spiral grooves in the spindle we do not, of course, confine ourselves to that number. In like manner a single bearing on the upper as well as on the lower spindle may be employed for mounting the picker.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A pair of spindles adjustably secured each to each, one spindle being mounted in the loom frame, a picker slidably mounted upon said spindles and means for sliding said picker to and fro thereon, substantially as described. v

2. A pair of grooved spindles secured each to each, one spindle being adjustably mounted in the loom frame, a picker mounted and slidable upon said spindles and a picker stick adapted to actuate said picker, substantially as described.

3; A pair of grooved spindles, one of which is adjustably secured in the loom frame, a picker furnished with bearings adapted to travel in the grooves of said spindles, and means for actuating said picker, substantially as described.

4. A pair of spirally grooved spindles, one of which is adjustably secured in the loom frame, a picker furnished with bearings adapted to travel in the grooves of said spindles, and means for actuating said picker, substantially as described.

'5. In a loom having grooved spindles, a picker the base of which is furnished with bearings adapted to travel in the grooves of said spindles and the head of which is adapted to receive a removable picker plug, substantially as described.

6. A pair of spirally grooved spindles, one of which is adjustably secured in the loom frame, a picker the base of which is provided with ball bearings whereby said picker is mounted upon said spindles and the head of which is furnished with a removable plug, and means for moving said picker to and fro upon said spindles, substantially as described.

7. A pair of parallel spindles secured each to each, one spindle being adjustably secured in the loom frame, whereby said spindles may be adjusted out of vertical plane, a picker mounted and traveling thereon, the head of said picker being furnished With a removable plug, and means for moving said picker to and fro upon said spindles, substantially as described.

8. A pair of parallel spirally grooved spindles secured each to each, one spindle being adjustably secured in the loom frame, a picker mounted upon said spindles by bearings'consisting of balls adapted to travel in the grooves of said spindles and half-cups secured in the shell of said picker and inclosing said balls, a removable picker plug located in the head of said picker, and means, consisting of a picker stick and picker strap, for imparting a to-and-fro movement to said picker upon said spindles, substantially as described.

9. A pair of parallel spirally grooved spindles secured each to each, one spindle being adjustably secured in the loom frame, a picker mounted upon said spindles by bearings consisting of balls adapted to travel in the grooves of said spindles and half-cups secured in the shell of said picker and inclosing said balls, a bushing located in the head of said picker, a removable picker plug located in said. bushing and means, consisting of a picker stick and picker strap, for imparting a to-and-l'ro movement to said picker upon said spindles, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof We hereunto aflix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses. i \VILLIAM A. BRAMALL.

JOHN A. BRAMALL. \Vitnesses:

JOHN B. RUTHERFORD, l WV. B. ScnEmunnuoRN. 

